Summer transfer window: Grading big signings in men's soccer
The 2026 summer transfer window is open. Here is how we rated the biggest deals.
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Premier League clubs spent a record £3 billion ($4 billion) in a 2025 summer transfer window that finished with a bang thanks to Liverpool's £125 million ($169 million) signing of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak. But with a FIFA World Cup in the middle of the window in 2026, will things stay the same?
The window opened on June 15 for the Premier League and July 1 for most of the other major European leagues.
Here are grades for all the major confirmed transfers in the men's game, with each listed by date and then by highest fee.
All fees are reported unless confirmed with an asterisk.
August 1
Danny Welbeck Undisclosed
Brighton & Hove Albion: C Chelsea: A
Welbeck's move to Chelsea for a small fee is a big shock at first glance -- he's 35 years old and seemed likely to see out his Premier League career with Brighton -- but dig a little deeper and you can grasp the thinking at play here.
The Englishman remains a handy goal scorer (23 league goals in his last two seasons) and is a clever forward, capable of linking with the midfield and creating chances. He's the sort of veteran presence the Blues have been crying out for and an ideal third man in the striking corps.
July 30
Maxence Lacroix £52m ($69M)
Crystal Palace: B Chelsea: B
Lacroix's two seasons at Crystal Palace were incredible. He helped them to three trophies in that span -- their first silverware for decades -- and rose to the fore as a commanding voice in defense and a leader in the dressing room.
This is exactly the type of presence Chelsea -- a team with a low average age and a terrible disciplinary record -- have been crying out for. The France international has played in a back four for Wolfsburg and his country, and a back three for Palace. He'll fit whatever new Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso decides to do.
Carlos Espí €25M ($28.8M)
Levante: B+ Real Madrid: B
Espí burst onto the LaLiga scene last season with 11 goals in just 1,340 league minutes. He is just 21, but he has a bulldozing frame and playing style that causes chaos among defenses and in the penalty box. He will replace Gonzalo García, who moved to Fulham for €40 million, as the "Joselu" option for manager José Mourinho, meaning something a bit different for late in games.
Levante will sorely miss him, naturally, as he is the perfect striker for what is likely to be another relegation scrap in 2026-27. Still, he has the second-most expensive departure in the club's history and will go a long way to servicing some hefty debts.
John Stones Free
Manchester City: B Inter: A
Stones' Man City exit was long in the making, so the club have had plenty of time to refresh the center back corps and prepare for his departure. Thanks to Marc Guéhi and Abdukodir Khusanov, they're very well set.
Italy -- and specifically Inter -- is a great next destination for the 32-year-old, where the league's less intense nature will be easier on his body. He should really enjoy playing as part of the Nerazzurri's back three.
July 25
Lee Kang-In €35M ($40M)
Paris Saint-Germain: C+ Atlético Madrid: B
Lee Kang-In is a measure of how hard it is to break into PSG's first-choice XI. Despite being an excellent player, he never really got anywhere near it, often settling for the less important games on the schedule. Now he returns to LaLiga where he starred for Mallorca (2021-23).
The €35 million fee -- which could rise to €40m with bonuses -- looks on the cheap side for a player of his talent, age (25) and international marketing pull, but there is one thing holding it back from an A grade: Longtime Atlético manager Diego Simeone has a history of struggling to get the best out of playmakers like Lee, so there are no guarantees the deal will work out.
July 24
Crysencio Summerville £55M ($73M)
West Ham United: A+ Al Hilal: B
Al Hilal have made the first big Saudi Pro League splash in the market this summer, outbidding AS Roma for Summerville in a deal that could reach £65 million if add-ons are met. Evidently, the club are keen to upgrade their forward line given Karim Benzema is 38 and Darwin Núñez's transfer hasn't worked out.
For West Ham, this is a phenomenal fee: Much more than Roma could offer, and probably more than any Premier League side would have paid. This, combined with the £85 million received for Mateus Fernandes, has not only balanced the books after relegation but also allowed them to sign star forward Jarrod Bowen to a new deal.
July 23
Elliot Anderson £116M ($153M)
Nottingham Forest: A+ Manchester City: B-
Anderson's blockbuster move to Man City would've made him the most expensive British player of all time, if not for Chelsea's £117 million signing of Morgan Rogers on Tuesday. Nevertheless, it's a club-record signing for City.
The 23-year-old is an exceptional midfielder who can do it all: He won the most duels (297) in the league last season by a distance, yet also clocked up the most touches (3,308) and took Forest's set pieces too. He was at the heart of everything they did.
But to live up to this pricetag, he'll need to up the ante even further and sustain it for years. This kind of fee places immense pressure on a player, so there's no shortage of risk for City here.
Christos Tzolis €40M (£35M, $45.7M)
Club Brugge: B+ Arsenal: B
Tzolis enjoyed two prolific seasons with Club Brugge in the Belgian league while holding his own in the Champions League. He is a nippy presence on the left flank and will likely assume Leandro Trossard's minutes, who moved to Bestikas for £15.3 million.
The €40 million fee is a Belgian Pro League record departure, yet it's only a modest gamble for a top Premier League club. The questions that will define if Tzolis is a success in north London are: Can his production translate to a higher level, and can he provide Mikel Arteta with the reliable tactical pliability Trossard did?
Karim Adeyemi €22M ($25M)
Borussia Dortmund: B Barcelona: C+
First Anthony Gordon, now Adeyemi: It's very clear that Barcelona targeted raw speed from the flanks this summer. There's no doubt the German has it, but the question is whether there's enough to his wider game to be good enough for the Catalan giants.
He's a very inconsistent performer and an unreliable presser, the latter of which feels like a big focus of manager Hansi Flick's. At least the fee -- €22 million, potentially rising to €29 million -- is modest, so Adeyemi has a chance to impress without battling too much pressure.
Alejandro Garnacho Loan
Chelsea: B- Aston Villa: B
Garnacho is a player Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has wanted for over a year now. The 22-year-old is the type of winger -- fast, runs in behind and keeps the touchline wide to stretch the pitch -- that Villa do not have, so his addition makes sense.
Chelsea would have much preferred this to be a permanent deal but, due to a very complex situation involving UEFA financial settlement agreements and rules on swap deals, Villa could not agree to one. This transfer could become permanent if Garnacho makes a certain number of appearances -- but as the Harvey Elliott debacle last season showed, nothing is guaranteed.
July 22
Casemiro Free
Manchester United: B- Inter Miami: B
Casemiro's time at Man United was a true rollercoaster. When he announced his exit in January it may have felt like a relief for the fans, but then by the end of the season, they were left wondering how they would replace the nine (!) league goals he chipped in with in 2025-26.
Now 34, he is visibly slow across the pitch and struggles to play in big spaces. Presumably that is less of an issue in MLS, which is several steps down from the Premier League, but it is something to watch with keen interest.
July 21
Morgan Rogers £117M ($158M)
Aston Villa: A+ Chelsea: C+
Three weeks after Manchester City broke the record for a British player in Elliot Anderson, Chelsea broke it again -- by £1 million -- to sign Rogers. The 23-year-old enjoyed a brilliant season, contributing 25 goals and assists to Aston Villa's cause as they finished inside the top four and won the Europa League, and featured for England at the 2026 World Cup.
Still, this is a gargantuan move that carries immense risk, regardless of how good the player is, as far more often than not, forwards tend to fall short of the expectation this sort of fee creates.
For Villa, it's a literal jackpot. They're under pressure to generate revenue under the terms of their UEFA settlement agreement, and £117 million is an absolute game-changer. A fee of this size opens up a world of transfer possibilities for them.
July 20
João Gomes £34M ($46M)
Wolves: C Aston Villa: A
For roughly the same fee as Youri Tielemans left for (£35 million), Villa have signed Gomes as his replacement. The Brazil midfielder should prove a snug fit in Unai Emery's system, as he progresses the ball well and has the athleticism to track and tackle runners.
The fee, which could rise to £38 million with add-ons, looks cheap for a talented 25-year-old with 10 caps for Brazil and three seasons of Premier League football under his belt. Wolves fans are understandably unhappy with the return.
July 17
Johan Manzambi £50M ($67M)
Freiburg: A+ Aston Villa: B+
Newcastle agreed a fee for Switzerland's World Cup star Manzambi, but Aston Villa stole in to match the terms and convince the player to join them instead. The 20-year-old had an excellent season with Freiburg -- which culminated in losing the Europa League final to Villa, coincidentally -- and looks a fine young attacking talent.
Just over £50 million is simultaneously good value for Villa, who have shopped outside the Premier League to avoid absurd markups on prices, and an amazing deal for Freiburg, who have more than doubled their record departure, which was previously €25 million for Kevin Schade.
July 16
Mason Greenwood €39M ($45M)
Marseille: C Fenerbahce: B
Greenwood's production at Marseille -- 37 goals and 12 assists across two Ligue 1 campaigns -- was phenomenal. For a while, he achieved star status at a club that is notoriously dysfunctional and difficult to remain consistent at.
But heavy praise turned to heavy criticism earlier this year, and for the second time in two years, he has departed a club under a cloud of off-field issues. Marseille have lost a very good striker in negative circumstances, made all the worse by the fact Manchester United took €12.5 million of the fee due to a clause in his 2024 exit from the club.
July 14
Luka Vuskovic £46M ($61M)
Tottenham Hotspur: B Brighton: B
Vuskovic is an extremely promising young center back, who was named Bundesliga Rookie of the Month four times last season while on loan at Hamburg, before forcing his way into Croatia's 2026 World Cup squad. He's a titan in the air and a confident ball carrier out from the back.
There is a distinct chance that Spurs have let a superb player go too soon here, and when a savvy club like Brighton want your top prospect, it's usually a signal. But they're in win-now mode and have effectively chosen to roll with experience over potential, so it's Vuskovic out and Jan Paul van Hecke in.
Youri Tielemans £35M ($47M)
Aston Villa: C+ Manchester United: A-
After Éderson's £35 million transfer from Atalanta collapsed, United moved fast to secure Tielemans for the same fee via a release clause. For a player of this established quality and consistency it is a relative bargain -- although at 29, it's no long-term solution.
The Belgium international midfielder was generally superb for Aston Villa over his three years there and the team visibly missed him when injuries forced him to miss games. If there's a silver lining here, it's that he was reportedly a high earner and the club are under pressure to cut costs under a UEFA settlement agreement.
July 13
Andrey Santos £48M ($64M)
Chelsea: C+ Manchester United: B+
Understandably put off by the fees paid to sign Mateus Fernandes (£85 million), Sandro Tonali (£92.5 million) and Elliot Anderson (£116 million), Man United have found a significantly cheaper way to bolster their midfield with proven Premier League quality.
Andrey Santos, 22, stepped into the Chelsea XI regularly last season and, over the course of nearly 2,500 minutes, showcased good passing and excellent tackling. He's hardly the kind of player the Blues should be looking to lose, but perhaps there's just not enough football to go around next season as the team isn't in Europe.
July 11
Morten Hjulmand €40M ($46M)
Sporting CP: B Atlético Madrid: A-
Long linked to Manchester United while Rúben Amorim was in charge, Hjulmand has finally made the move to one of Europe's top leagues with Atlético. Diego Simeone will love his combativeness, fire, leadership qualities and strength in the air.
A fee of €40 million, plus some modest bonuses, looks a little on the lean side as fees go for Sporting, but the reality is this was probably the maximum you'd get for the 27-year-old once interest from the big-spending Premier League clubs' dropped.
Jeremy Monga £10M ($13M)
Leicester City: B Manchester City: B
City outbid Arsenal to secure Monga, who has made the breakthrough to men's football incredibly early. He became the second-youngest Premier League player ever in 2025, aged 15 years and 271 days, and played just shy of 1,000 Championship minutes last season aged 16.
Anyone who makes this kind of leap is worth a look for an elite club, as they could become a homegrown superstar. Whether or not the first-team pathway ever opens up for Monga to impress at City is another question, though.
July 6
Sandro Tonali £92.5M ($125M)
Newcastle United: A+ Tottenham Hotspur: C-
Tottenham have signed Tonali in a deal that could rise to £100 million with achievable add-ons. It's an astonishing deal and, quite frankly, an astonishing use of £100 million, making him one of the 15 most expensive footballers of all time.
Clearly, Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi is convinced he can work miracles with his Italian compatriot, but Newcastle likely can't believe their luck. They got just one consistently strong season out of three from Tonali, before offloading him for twice what they spent to acquire him.
July 5
Denzel Dumfries €20M ($22.8M)
Inter Milan: C Real Madrid: A
Dumfries is one of the most prolific goalscoring defenders in world football -- although labeling him a defender may be a stretch. A direct, attacking wing back, who spends more time in the opposition box than his own, he can be a real difference-maker from the flank. Losing him for just €20 million via a release clause in his contract is tough for Inter, although the Dutchman's injury issues last season did force the Nerazzurri to learn how to cope without him.
July 3
Nathaniel Brown €55M ($64M)
Eintracht Frankfurt: A Bayern Munich: B
Brown's career is moving fast. He used a sensational 2025-26 season with Frankfurt to not only gatecrash Germany's 2026 World Cup squad, but oust David Raum as first-choice left back.
The 23-year-old defender is athletic, very fast, defends one-on-ones well and combines traditional overlapping runs with modern, inverted runs into the box. Born in Bavaria, his signing for Bayern is both a headline move and a homecoming.
Frankfurt won't be able to replace his quality like-for-like, but they have at least secured a fee that makes Brown one of the three most expensive left backs of all time.
Mateus Fernandes £85M ($112M)
West Ham United: A+ Tottenham Hotspur: C+
Despite consecutive relegations from the Premier League with Southampton and then West Ham, it is clear Fernandes is an excellent player. An all-round midfielder who can pretty much do it all by the age of 21, there is no doubt Tottenham are looking in the right area here as they seek to improve their midfield.
The price, however, is eye-popping. Even Manchester United, who spent last summer shelling out roughly £65 million per attacker, had to dip out of this race for Fernandes because the quoted transfer price was so high. The Portugal midfielder will have to do incredibly well, for a long time, to prove worth this outlay.
July 1
Anthony Gordon €70M (£60M, $80M)
Newcastle: A- Barcelona: B
With legendary goal scorer Robert Lewandowski gone on a free transfer and Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford far from certain to stay permanently, Barcelona needed a big addition to their forward line this summer. Gordon plays both left wing and striker, presses hard and was the fastest player in the Premier League last season, topping 36 km/h, per Gradient Sports. He's a good fit for Hansi Flick's tactical style.
This is about the right price range for any player of this established quality. Newcastle could earn an extra €10 million if add-ons are met, making this potentially even more lucrative for them.
Marco Palestra €60M (£48M, $68M)
Atalanta: A Chelsea: B
If Chelsea intend to play with fully fledged wing backs under new manager Xabi Alonso, signing Palestra makes a lot of sense. The 21-year-old is tall, fast and loves to knock the ball past an opponent -- but he also has neat footwork in tight spaces. The Blues are once again trusting their talent ID, staking a big transfer fee on a player with just one full season under his belt, which came on loan at Cagliari.
Naturally, Atalanta are the big winners here: They watched a player blossom out on loan, become the subject of a bidding war between Inter Milan and Chelsea, and then accepted the highest bid.
Marc Cucurella €55M (£47M, $64M)
Chelsea: C- Real Madrid: A-
When Chelsea's ownership group drew up their transfer strategy, this is surely not what it was supposed to look like. Cucurella is one of the few signings that has unequivocally succeeded, yet here they are losing him for a fairly modest fee, potentially rising to €60M with add-ons.
The Blues' loss is Madrid's gain: Barcelona academy graduate Cucurella returns to Spain as a fully fledged international and trophy winner, shoring up the left-back area in Madrid nicely. José Mourinho will love his blood-and-thunder style.
Ismael Saibari €55M ($64M)
PSV Eindhoven: A Bayern Munich: B
Saibari has blossomed over the last two years, contributing 52 goals and assists for PSV in the Champions League and Eredivisie play and securing his place as Morocco's first-choice striker. He scored at the 2026 World Cup to further enhance his reputation.
Bayern will appreciate those scoring numbers, but they will also love his ability to drop deep, receive the ball and create. It's what Harry Kane already does for them to a world class level, and now Bayern have found a very capable backup. It's a good stylistic fit for the German giants, while for PSV, it's a club record departure.
Piero Hincapié €40M (£34.5M; $46M)
Bayer Leverkusen: C Arsenal: A
Hincapié's loan to Arsenal has become a permanent move after certain conditions were met. He proved an excellent pickup last summer, ably sharing the left-back role with Riccardo Calafiori and covering at center back too.
Factoring in the initial loan fee of €6 million, this looks to have cost the Gunners just shy of €50 million all in. For a player of this established quality and age (24), it goes down as an absolute bargain.
Emmanuel Emegha €25M (£22M; $29M)
Strasbourg: B Chelsea: B
Chelsea struck a deal to sign Emegha in the summer of 2025, but opted to let him stay at sister club Strasbourg and continue developing for another year. It was a good idea, but things didn't go to plan as the Dutchman missed most of last season due to injury.
For a player who stands at 6-foot-5, he is extremely fast, with great movement, but he is unreliable in front of goal and underperformed his xG by three in 2024-25. Emegha has huge potential and is still only 23, but he probably isn't ready to start for Chelsea just yet.
Robert Lewandowski Free transfer
Barcelona: B Chicago Fire FC: B+
The Chicago Fire won the race to sign legendary striker Lewandowski, who may be into his late 30s but still scored 14 goals from 17 starts in LaLiga last season. He'll join MLS top scorer Hugo Cuypers (13 goals this term) in what is now a fearsome front two on paper.
It was certainly time for him to depart Barcelona, where he excelled since joining in 2022, but also accounted for a huge portion of the wage bill at a club that's been right up against it financially for some time.
Bernardo Silva Free
Manchester City: D Real Madrid: A
Silva, who is one of the most tactically versatile and intelligent players the sport has ever seen, was linked strongly to each of Spain's big three clubs. But Los Blancos will benefit hugely from his presence in a variety of ways.
After nine incredible years at City, there was little need for the club to recoup any sort of fee for him, but this one still really hurts. The Portugal midfielder was a crucial component of the team and the dressing room and a symbol of the Pep Guardiola era.
Ibrahima Konaté Free
Liverpool: D Real Madrid: B-
Konaté's athleticism is off the charts, and when he's in good form, he's close to unbeatable at the back. But inconsistency has long troubled his game, and reports in Spain suggest not only has he earned a huge signing bonus of €20 million, but he's more than tripled his weekly wage with this move.
From Madrid's perspective, this is no free transfer. But from Liverpool's perspective it is. They get absolutely nothing in return for a very good player, but have at least covered themselves for this eventuality with new €70 million arrival Jérémy Jacquet (agreed in January).
Antoine Griezmann Free
Atletico Madrid: B Orlando City: A
Griezmann's long farewell to Atlético was a tearjerker, and it feels right that the 35-year-old forward opted for a new challenge, on a different continent, rather than moved to another European club. He was a great servant to the club for a long time, negating the need to receive any kind of fee for him.
Orlando have had a poor campaign to date and could use all the help they can get; Griezmann's quality and personality is a great start to turning things around.
June 30
Gonçalo Ramos €74M ($84M)
PSG: A AC Milan: C+
First, Milan appointed former Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim as coach. Then they handed him his first new weapon: Ramos, a Champions League winner and a potent goal scorer -- albeit via a bit-part role with PSG these past three years.
This is a gargantuan outlay from the Italian giants, who have smashed their transfer record by more than €20 million for a player who has too often found himself kicking his heels for club and country of late. PSG, meanwhile, have banked €74 million, potentially rising to around €80 million, for a squad player; they'll rightly be delighted with that.
Alejandro Grimaldo €20M ($22.7M)
Bayer Leverkusen: C Atlético Madrid: A
Grimaldo will finally play in Spain's top tier, having left Barcelona's academy in 2016 without a first-team appearance to his name. He's blossomed abroad, at both Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen, developing into one of the best attacking fullbacks in the game. At €20 million, this is a steal for Atleti -- even if he is 30 years old.
Leverkusen don't stand a chance of replacing his quality like-for-like with a humble fee, and they've reluctantly said goodbye to one of their best players during that famous unbeaten title run in 2023-24.
June 18
Jan Paul van Hecke £52M ($70M)
Brighton & Hove Albion: B+ Tottenham: B
Van Hecke has slowly developed into one of the Premier League's best center backs. The Netherlands international has long been one of the best passers and dribblers from the back, and now he's become a sturdier, meaner defender, too.
At 25, he's ready for the next step, and reuniting with manager Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham feels like a brilliant match. Brighton were resigned to losing him given he had just one year left on his contract and did well to hold out for a fee above £50 million.
Víctor Muñoz €40M (£35M; $46M)
Osasuna: B+ Liverpool: B-
Muñoz is an incredibly busy, buzzing winger who tears around the pitch, tries to beat defenders one-on-one and shoots willingly. Stylistically that makes him a good fit for Andoni Iraola, but Liverpool are gambling slightly on the 23-year-old stepping up to the elite level quickly.
For Osasuna, this is a record departure -- but not quite the huge payday it looks like. They only hold 50% of the player's rights, with Real Madrid holding the other half; that means half €40M fee will go to Los Blancos.
June 15
Marcos Senesi Free
Bournemouth: D Tottenham: A
Senesi was one of the outstanding center backs in the Premier League last season. A committed defender, a physical presence and a brilliant passer from the back, he stood out as one of the best free agents heading into the summer, and Spurs have won the race for his signature.
His signing does raise some questions for the club to answer. Will captain Cristian Romero be departing? Is the plan to play with two left-footers (Senesi and Micky van de Ven), or will it be a back three? Though none of that detracts from the fact this deal is a coup.
Andy Robertson Free
Liverpool: B Tottenham: B
Tottenham came close to signing Robertson in January and have now finally sealed the deal. The 32-year-old defender's time at Liverpool had come to a natural end as he passed his peak and Milos Kerkez replaced him in the XI.
Roberto De Zerbi will value the Scotland international's passing ability and the Spurs squad badly need his leadership qualities -- although they have reportedly paid a premium in wages for a player who won't necessarily be first choice.
June 29
Rasmus Højlund €44M (£38M; $51M)
Manchester United: B+ Napoli: B+
Højlund's loan to Napoli was made permanent the moment the Italian giants qualified for the Champions League. The Denmark striker led the attacking line all season long, contributing 16 goals in total, and rebounded well from his disappointing spell at Man United.
It's a good deal for both clubs, as €44 million (plus a €6 million loan fee last season) for a reliable goal scorer represents strong value for Napoli, while United will be pleased to make a fair chunk of their money back on a signing that cost them an initial €75 million and simply did not work out.
